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H.R. 1206, Permanent Electronic Duck Stamp Act of 2013

As ordered reported by the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works on February 6, 2014

H.R. 1206 would authorize the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) to permanently allow any state to provide hunting and conservation stamps for migratory birds (referred to as federal duck stamps) electronically. The electronic stamps would remain valid for 45 days to allow for the physical stamps to arrive in the mail. A pilot program that authorized a limited number of states to issue electronic stamps expired in 2010, although the USFWS has continued the program under other authorities.

CBO estimates that enacting H.R. 1206 would affect direct spending and revenues; therefore, pay-as-you-go procedures apply. Under current law, amounts collected from the sale of duck stamps are deposited in the Migratory Bird Conservation Fund and are available to be spent without further appropriation for waterfowl conservation projects. CBO estimates that the net effects of enacting the bill would be insignificant over the 2014-2024 period because we expect that the number of additional stamps purchased would not be significant.

H.R. 1206 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act and would impose no costs on state, local, or tribal governments.

On May 14, 2013, CBO transmitted a cost estimate for H.R. 1206, as ordered reported by the House Committee on Natural Resources on April 24, 2013. The two versions of the legislation are identical and the CBO cost estimates are the same.